From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgargoylegar‧goyle /ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl $ ˈɡɑːr-/ noun [countable] RRCTBBa stone figure of a strange and ugly creature, that carries rain water from the roof of an old building, especially a church
Examples from the Corpus
gargoyle• The buildings, square and stout, were trimmed in white terra-cotta and topped by gargoyles representing the various scholarly fields.• The old grey Allied Bank was decorated with sixteenth-century gargoyles and sculptured animals, some devouring one another.• The second was the sight of strange mythological beasts and demonic gargoyles which surrounded and surmounted the gateway.• We could see that his yard was filled with firewood gargoyles.• And where the old gargoyles are now crumbling away, attempts are being made to replace them, expensive though this is.• The interactive guides are the witty gargoyles Hugo, Victor and Laverne.Origin gargoyle (1400-1500) Old French gargouille “throat”; because the water appears to come out of the creature's throat 